BlackBerry may abandon BB10 operating system and and switch to Android

(Representative picture) BlackBerry is likely to abandon its BlackBerry 10 (BB10) operating system and switch to Google’s Android for its mobile phones in the future.

NEW DELHI: BlackBerry is likely to abandon its BlackBerry 10 (BB10) operating system and switch to Google’s Android for its mobile phones in the future, a move aimed at reviving its ailing hardware business, which contributes a majority of its revenue globally.

The company indicated the change at the launch of its first Android-based phone, PRIV, in India on Thursday.

“The PRIV device is essentially our transition to Android ecosystem. As we secure Android, over a period of time, we would not have two platforms, and may have only Android as a platform [for smartphones],” Damian Tay, senior director, APAC product management at BlackBerry, told ET. “But for now, we have BB10 and Android platforms for our smartphones.”

BlackBerry, which has been transitioning from a smartphone maker to a largely enterprise solutions provider, has designed PRIV with security at its core, building on its legacy of keeping customers’ data private.

“The future is really Android. We went for Android essentially for its app ecosystem. In addition, all the enterprise solutions that we have been doing have been cross-platform for a long time now. So it’s a natural progression towards Android,” Tay said, explaining the move.

BlackBerry’s global hardware revenue declined 40.7% to $214 million in the three months ended November 28 from a year earlier. Hardware accounted for a 39.1% share of its revenue in the third quarter of fiscal 2016.

BlackBerry will continue to sell BB10 smartphones such as the Classic and Passport, claiming they are still more secure than Android devices. Tay said several governments and their departments use BB10-powered smartphones, which is primarily why BlackBerry will continue producing these smartphones and support them.

“If we stop selling, then the government that relies on them would be in a fix,” he said. The company plans to transform these governments and authorities with new Android devices going ahead.

“Essentially, there is a transition which is happening, wherein the company is looking to get certifications and clearances from these governments for the Android-powered BlackBerry smartphone,” he added.

The PRIV smartphone is priced at Rs 62,900. The executive said that “this is the price which any global manufacturer has for its flagship device.”

BlackBerry will expand its Android-powered handset portfolio with two new smartphones that will be priced lower than the PRIV, Tay said.

The PRIV smartphone hasn’t been brought to the level of security that BB10 offers for governments and authorities and may be equipped with better features in future through security and software patches.

On the Indian market, Tay said the company will see how the device performs in terms of consumer adoption and then align the roadmap for the next Android devices. “India is a market with lot of potential. We definitely want to make sure that we are present here,” he added.

The company has been working with Reliance Jio Infocomm for the past six months on the PRIV device, which is compatible with its network and supports VOLTE technology. It is discussing data-bundling deals with the telco for the device.